Homeschool FAQ

There are several options for earning credits toward a high school diploma as a home school student:
-Rent curriculum through our department
-Purchase your own curriculum
-Dual-enroll into a public high school (academic or extracurricular classes)
-Take Edgenuity online classes through our program
-Take dual credit classes
-Kirkwood Academies (Linn Regional Learning Center) or concurrent classes
-Kirkwood concurrent classes

We have language arts, science, math, and social studies curriculum available for you to rent.

Students must complete a minimum of 40 credits as follows:
-Language arts: 8 credits
-Math: 6 credits
-Science: 6 credits
-Social studies: 6 credits
-Physical education: 4 credits
-Elective credits: 10 credits

Students and parents must keep documentation of the hours worked and grades. These records will be transferred to the high school transcript. Resource teachers will provide support in this process.

The home school assistance program holds a formal cap-and-gown graduation ceremony at the end of May.

Generally, no, but it depends on the guidelines set up by individual school districts or private schools. Cedar Rapids Community School District policy does not permit credits earned from classes taught at home to count toward public high school graduation requirements.

We offer field trips and fine arts performances are geared toward older students. Job shadowing and internship opportunities can be arranged through Kirkwood’s Workplace Learning Connection.

Adjustments to graduation requirements to accommodate any open IEP goals or 504 plans could be made for special needs students achieving up to their potential. Special needs services provided to any public high school student are also available to home school students in the CRHSAP.

The CRHSAP administers Iowa assessment tests annually during the same testing window at Cedar Rapids Community School District. The testing is given in April and is optional to home school students in Iowa. Students may also take other nationally recognized standardized tests such as the ACT, SAT, and Woodcock-Johnson III.

Parents receive the services of a certified resource teacher who will help determine high school goals and assist with finalizing students’ high school transcripts, act as liaisons with CRCSD high schools, provide letters of recommendation, and support the college application process.

High school students enrolled in the CRHSAP are bound by the same requirements as all students under competent private instruction as defined by Iowa law. All families in the program are required to have 16 contacts with a resource teacher during the course of the school year. If students attend our classes, four face-to-face meetings are required. Otherwise, eight face-to-face meetings are expected.

Credit for high school courses completed and passed will be counted toward the program’s graduation requirements upon receipt of that high school’s transcript.

High school course work completed during a student’s eighth grade school year, but no earlier, can be counted toward the program’s graduation requirements.

Our students participate in career preparation through the Workplace Learning Connection, which has two different options for bringing students together with area business professionals. The first option is a job shadow which allows sophomores, juniors, and seniors to spend two to six hours with an area professional to get a first-hand look at their typical work day. The second option is an internship which allows high school juniors and seniors to spend 45-90 hours of planned and supervised career experience in a job of interest to them.

If you are interested in either a job shadow or internship, contact Matt Cossolotto at mcossolotto@crschools.us to begin the application process.

Workplace Learning Connection

We offer a certificate of participation to students who are not meeting the yearly requirements.